“Ms. Blake,” Professor Messor says as she stands up, towering above all of us. “That is a wild accusation to make without proof.”
“I have proof,” I go on. “And I know where she is. We can save her, but we have to act now.”
Celeste’s father sweeps his hand toward the door. “We’ll let you two sort this out. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Maxon. Let’s have a chat.”
I can feel Maxon’s internal groan, but he turns and leads his future in-laws out, knowing I need to talk with Professor Messor. She waves her hand at the door as soon as we’re alone, and it slams shut.
“It’s a Red Skull,” I rush out, not giving her a chance to start lecturing me. “We saw it today when we were sent on our first mission.”
“A Red Skull?” Professor Messor quickly shakes her head. “And you escaped?”
“Barely. I opened the portal and Max was able to hit it once with his scythe. We got through just in time.” I stride forward and put my hands on her desk, needing to center myself. “It was wearing Blaze’s necklace. It’s a very specific one that’s specially made for the men in his family. And the demon had it on, like some sort of sick souvenir or something.”
Professor Messor looks at me like I’m crazy, and I take it as my cue to go on. “That’s what’s been taking the students. Terrence. Blaze. Probably Dorian too. And now it has Kaia.”
“Taking? I’m not following, Addy.”
“I don’t know how it’s doing it, but it’s going between realms. Sneaking in to grab a reaper and then going somewhere we can’t detect it.”
A few seconds of silence pass by again and I’m about to tell Professor Messor to pick up a scroll and write an urgent letter to the army, telling them to send out the troops and start the search.
“That is impossible,” she says slowly, wanting me to hear each and every word clearly. “There is absolutely no way a demon could open a portal once, let alone twice, to get in and out and not be detected. Especially one as powerful as a Red Skull. We would have been alerted, and in any case,manystudents would be dead if a Red Skull had managed to get in.”
“But then how did it get Blaze’s necklace?”
“We have reason to believe Blaze may have taken an unauthorized trip to the human realm in an attempt to single-handedly kill a demon for bragging rights. Much like Maxon, but he didn’t get so lucky.” She narrows her eyes.
I swallow hard, feeling a lump rise in my throat. Blaze told me he’d been training on the side for a solo trip, but why would he go the night before the game? It doesn’t seem like a risk he’d take…unless it wasn’t his decision to go.
“I still think the demon is pulling students out of the academy.”
“While I appreciate your concern, Miss Blake, you are completely out of line. Like I said, it is impossible for a demon to do what you are suggesting. Even if a demon did break through into the academy walls, we have safety measures in place that would prevent it from being able to escape. It would be trapped here, and someone certainly would have noticed. Now, you need to get back to lunch.” She looks at an hourglass on her desk. “You have time left to calm down, get something to eat, and not bring this up again.”
“But Kaia is—”
Professor Messor holds up her hand. “No students have been reported missing to me, and a count was just turned in. Everyone is accounted for.”
I shake my head. “Then she went missing right after the count or—” I cut off. Or someone lied about her being there for the roll call.
But Professor Messor has heard enough. “It is time for you and Maxon to both go back to the mess hall. Before you lose house points.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, knowing there’s no use in arguing. She doesn’t believe me, and I know how far-fetched this all sounds. Still…I know the demon has her. I can feel it in my bones.
Maxon is still talking to Celeste’s parents when I leave the office, and I go around the other side of the lobby, absentmindedly looking at the large bronze statue of the Angel of Death that sits in the middle of the lobby.
“Addy,” Maxon whispers, and rushes over. Celeste’s parents go back into the office and the door closes once again. “Did you find out anything?”
I shake my head. “Professor Messor doesn’t believe me. But I know it has her, Max. I just know.”
“I do too.” He puts his hand on my arm, and my heart swells in my chest despite myself. I have to pull away in order to resist the impulse to lean against him.
“If Professor Messor won’t take me seriously, then I’m going to get her myself.” I start walking forward.
“Yourself?” Maxon takes my wrist in his grasp. “Addy, that’s a death wish. You can’t go after a Red Skull alone.”
“Then come with me.”
“We’ll both die. We almost did back there! Look, I’m all for sneaking out and fighting and killing demons, but I know our limits! Let me try talking to Professor Messor, at least.”
